Ferrari says it owns the right to use ‘Luce’ name globally after Mazda files trademark for it in Japan

Ferrari has said it holds the right to use the ‘Luce’ name, which will be used for its first-ever electric vehicle (EV), reports CarExpert. This comes after Mazda filed to trademark the name in Japan in early March, just a few weeks after Ferrari announced the name of its upcoming EV.

“Ferrari holds the right to use the ‘Ferrari Luce’ trademark internationally, by virtue of its registration under international law,” the company’s head office said in a statement issued to the Australian publication. “As always, Ferrari carried out prior searches, which did not identify any active third-party rights in conflict with ours,” it added.

Mazda previously sold a sedan called the Luce (also known as the 929 in export markets) for decades between 1966 and 1991. While it did not make another car since then bearing the name, it was referenced by the Japanese brand when it revealed the Vision Coupe Concept in 2017, specifically mentioning the Mazda Luce Rotary (also known as the R130) and R360 as sources of inspiration.

Autoblog dug deeper into the issue, highlighting that Ferrari had registered the ‘Luce’ name with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) on September 12, 2025 for a period of ten years. While WIPO administers international registration systems for 194 countries, national laws determine the final intellectual property rights, meaning that countries have the final say.

In the United States, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) did not have applications for the name from either Ferrari or Mazda. Meanwhile, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) database lists ‘Ferrari Luce’ as being filed in Italy on February 9, 2026, which allows the Italian company to use the name in the 27 member countries of the European Union.

Just how both companies will settle this dispute remains unknown for now, but it looks like neither is willing to give up on the ‘Luce’ name easily. Japan is a key market for Ferrari, and if Mazda has their way, the Italian company may need to come up with a different name for its EV, at least in Japan.

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